Micrografx says time-bomb snafu is mended

Time-bombing is common in magazine cover disks and other promotions and ensures that users can only access the program for a trial period before paying for the full program.

Micrografx vice president of communications Aline Parrish said: "There was a 90-day expiry date in Windows Draw 6 shipments in the US and internationally. About 30,000 units were affected in the US and about 600 units in the UK, which were distributed through Gem. But we caught it early. We have taken multiple actions to ensure replacement of product through our distribution channels as well as offering an online patch. As far as I know, all products have now been cleansed or replaced."

Micrografx UK general manager David Whitewood said: "There was a quality issue with the shipping version of Windows Draw 6. We discovered it when there were 600 units in distribution and put a replacement CD in every box. None [of the affected disks] will get to the retail shelves in the UK. It's quite common for quality control to pick up something in a new product. It's not like Vauxhall or Ford recalling a car."